Guard for pocket-books.



W. A. MILLER. GUA RD FOR POCKET BOOKS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-1,1916.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

WILLIAM A. MILLER, 015 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

GUARD FOR POCKET-BOOKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 119w.

Application filed. December 1, 1916. Serial No. 134,274.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. MILLER, citizen of the United'States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Guards for Pocket-Books, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device which is an attachment for a pocket book or bill fold, and which operates as a guard to prevent ones pocket book from being taken from the pocket by a pickpocket. The guard also operates as a safety device to prevent the pocket book from being thrown accidentally from ones pocket.

The general object of the invention is to provide a very simple device for this purpose, which is very inexpensive in its construction, and constructed in such a way that it will engage the pocket and cannot be released eXcept by thrusting ones hand deeply into the pocket, that is to say, by such a movement as would certainly be felt by a person whose pocket was being robbed.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter. V

In the drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure l is an elevation showing the rear portion of a pair of trousers having a hip pocket and illustrating the relation of the device to the pocket carrying it,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the pocket shown in Fig. 1 indicating the pocket book carried therein, and illustrating the manner in which the guard operates normally to prevent the removal of the pocket book,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing a portion of the wall of the pocket book, and showing the guard in longitudinal section, and

Fig. 4 is a plan of the guard removed from the pocket book.

Though the pocket book and guard may be carried in any kind of pocket, for the purpose of illustration, 1 have represented it in the accompanying drawing as carried in a hip pocket.

In the drawing 1 represents the hip portion of the trousers in which is formed a hip pocket 2, the mouth 3 of the pocket being located at its upper end in the usual manner. A pocket book or bill fold a of any common form is represented as carried in the pocket 2.

In applying my invention to such a pocket book I provide a guard 5 which comprises a member 6 held on the flat side face 7 of the pocket book, preferably near the upper end of the pocket book. And this member 6 extends laterally with respect to the plane in which the pocket book lies, its outer end engaging the inner face of the outer wall 8 of the pocket 2, and operating to hold this wall distended. The member (3 is preferably in the form of a plunger comprising a light metal cylindrical casing 9, in which is set a plug 10 preferably of a yielding material such as soft rubber. This plunger is movably mounted in a tubular guide 11 attached in any suitable manner to the pocket book. If it is to be permanently attached I provide a circular plate or disk 12 rigidly carrying'the guide. lhe plunger 6 is held in place, and its movement in and out is limited by means of a cross pin 13 passing through the casing 9 and through a slot ll formed in the plunger 10.

I provide means for forcing the member 6 outwardly to cause the end face of the plunger to exert substantial pressure against the inner face of the outer wall of the pocket. F or this purpose I prefer to provide a helical spring 15 within the tubular guide behind the plunger 6, and I prefer to form the projecting tip 16 of the plunger with a transverse inclined end face 17, so that when the device is attached in pace the longest portion of the plunger is disposed toward the mouth 3 of the pocket. This gives the upper portion of the plunger the effect of a rudimentary tooth or spur which presses against the cloth (see Fig. 2) and tends to increase the force which would be necessary to pull the pocket book out of the pocket.

In order to facilitate the attachment of the guard to the pocket book, I prefer to provide the plate 12 with a plurality of small rivet holes 18, to receive rivets 18 and in order to give the device a neat appearance I prefer to cover the outer face of the plate 12 with a leather disk 19 which, if desired, may match the material out of which the pocket-book is made. And beyond the edge of the plate 12 I prefer to provide an annular piece or ring 20 of leather which brings out the middle layer of material to the outer edge of the cover disk 19, as shown in Fig. 3. In this way the edge of the metal is covered and the can be readily withdrawn] In thrusting the leather pieces may be conveniently sewed to the pocket book.

lVhen'the pocket book is in the pocket. the tip of the guard engages the outer side' of the pocket, substantially as indicated in" Fig. 2. According to my invention the de-v tofpull it up through the mouth of the pocket the guard would prevent such a movement.

When the person carrying the pocket book wishes to remove it irom his pocket he simply thrusts his hand down into the inte'ror. of thepocket on the outer side of This presses the outer the pocket book. 7 wall of the pocket outwardly, andthe thicle ness of the hand is snflicient to disengage the outer'wall of the pocket from'the end of the plunger, whereupon the pocket book hand into the pocket inthe manner suggested the movement will be facilitated it";

the tubular guide 11 is permitted to pass .into the space between two of the fingers of the hand. At the same time the device will I not ofier'any obstruction to the nward movement of the hand.

If a man carrying thepocket book and guard in his hip pocket should stoop for- "ward; evidently the spring and the rubber will give under theincreased pressure and;

thus relieve the strain on thepocket atjthe guard. 7 It is understood that the embodiment of the invention set forth herein is only one of the many embodiments the invention may take, and I do llOt wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in my claims;

to the particular I time i p 1. A guard for preventing accidental removal of a pocketbook from ones pocket,

embodiment set forth.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for consisting of'a member projecting laterally from theside face of the pocket book to engage the-inner faceiof'the outer wall of the pocket and hold said outer wall in a distended po'sition, whereby the pressure of the said wall of the pocket against said member operates to prevent accidental displacement or sa d pocketbook, and means for yieldg y ng said member outwardly.

2. A guard forpreventing accidental re-- moval of apocketbook from ones pocket,

consisting pf a giiide p 'ojectiiiglaterally from thejside face of'the pocketbook; and a 1 plunger moi ably mounted 'in said guide,

projecting from said guide and having an end iace to engage the inner, face of the outerwall ofthe pocket a id' 'hold'the same infa distended position, aiid meanstending to move said "plunger outwardly in said guide. 7

3. A guard mounted on "the. side face of a pockefibookfand consisting of a tubular guide extending laterally with respect to the plane in wliich'i the pocket book lies, a member movablymounte'd'in sa dguideand" normally pro ecting tliei'etrom to press against the inner face of'tlie outer w'all of thepocket inwhich the pocketbook is car ried and thereby hold the pocket book against accidental renifo"val, and a spring within said tubular guide for'normally fore ing said member outwarc'lly,

4. A guard for "oi-eventing accidental removal of" a pocket ook from ones pocket, consisting of a tubular gui'depro ecting laterally from the side of the pocketbookfa plunger-movable"in said guide and having 7 a tip of yielding material for, engaging the inner face of the outer wall of the pocket, and a spring within said guide fornorinally forcing said plungeroutwardly to press the same against sai'd outer wall and thereby hold the same distended.

In, testimony whereof, I have "hereunto WILLIAM A, MILLER.

set my hand.

five cents each, 'by aii gl ressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

L Washington, D. C. 

